Ford Mustang Cleans Up in Edmunds.com’s Best Retained Value Awards

Residual value may not be at the top of every sports-car buyer’s list, but Mustang owners can rest assured that their pony car will be worth more when it comes time to trade it in at their local Ford dealership. Edmunds.com recently published its 2012 Best Retained Value Awards, with the 2012 Ford Mustang, Shelby GT500 coupe and Shelby GT500 convertible all winning their categories thanks to their low depreciation.

Overall, Ford led all auto brands with five category wins in Edmunds.com’s Best Retained Value Awards, including nods for the 2012 F-150 in the Large Light Duty Truck category and the 2012 F-350 Super Duty in the Large Heavy Duty Truck category. Meanwhile, the Ford Mustang took the Coupe $25K-$35K category, and the two Shelby GT500 models topped the Coupe Over $45,000 and Convertible Over $45,000 segments.

“Retained value is a good indicator of quality, reliability and desirability, which are three traits the Mustang has in spades,” said Peter King, general manager of Watertown Ford, a Massachusetts Ford dealer. “We often focus on power and speed when talking about sports cars, but getting more money back when you trade in makes the Mustang more than just an emotional purchase; it makes it a smart buy too.”

Edmunds.com named winners in 23 different market segments based on projected residual value after five years of ownership, which was expressed as a percentage the vehicle’s original True Market Value. Eligible models had to have been released before the end of 2011 for the 2012 model year, and their unit sales in February 2012 needed to be at least 20 percent of the average unit sales for models in their segment. Edmunds.com projects that the 2012 Mustang will retain 46.8 percent of its value after five years, while the Shelby GT500 coupe and convertible are expected to retain 47.5 percent and 46.5 percent of their original values, respectively.

The Ford Mustang recently got a refresh for the 2013 model year, adding more aggressive styling to the already imposing sports car. Currently on sale at dealerships, the 2013 Mustang features a more prominent grille, high-intensity headlights and three high-tech LED bars for taillights. Meanwhile, a newly sculpted hood makes room for the Mustang’s strongest attribute: its engines. Even the standard Mustang comes with 305 horsepower, while the 2013 Mustang GT pumps out 420 horsepower with its 5.0-liter V8, an eight-horsepower improvement from the 2012 model.

Those with a thirst for only the highest performance will want the new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, which goes on sale this month as a coupe and later this summer as a convertible. Featuring what Ford claims is the most powerful production V8 engine in the world, the 2013 Shelby GT500 pumps out an incredible 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque through its supercharged 5.8-liter unit. While the regular Mustang comes with a manual or automatic transmission, the Shelby GT500 is only available with a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox, helping to solidify the elite muscle car’s reputation among driving enthusiasts.

“Chevy has a long road ahead if they think they can one-up Ford when it comes to power,” King noted. “The Shelby GT500 has the new Camaro ZL1 beat by 82 horsepower. It is the king of the pony cars right now, and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

About Watertown Ford:

Watertown Ford is where Greater Boston Ford lovers head for the best deals on new and used Fords. No other Massachusetts Ford dealer has the same dedication to the customer, and that dedication has earned Watertown Ford the loyalty of Ford owners all over the state. Their new and used Ford inventory can be viewed online at www.watertownford.com, and interested customers can visit their showroom at 625 Pleasant St. in Watertown, Massachusetts. They can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyWatertownFord and reached by phone at 800-584-6486.